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The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Tuesday said it would embark on an indefinite strike over an alleged imposition of a defective Scheme of Service for Polythenics by the National Board of Technical Education, NBTE.
ASUP, however, issued NBTE a 15-day ultimatum to review the entire document that did not support growth of polytechnic education in the nation.
The Zone D of the ASUP comprising polytechnics in South-South and South-East took the decision after a meeting at Captain Elechi Amadi Polythenic, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUP Zone D, Comrade Dr. Iloma Richard, noted that the Scheme of Service for the Polytechnics as released by NBTE contained fundamental deviations from the expectations of the stakeholders and staff members of polytechnics.
Richard stated that NBTE was making all efforts to impose the said defective document on the sector, adding that the board had failed to convene meetings of stakeholders to address areas of regrets about the document.
He added that the document was against career progression of polytechnic staff members and would lead to collapse of polythenic education in Nigeria, calling for immediate suspension of the implementation of the scheme.
He said: “After a careful review and scrutiny of the highly anticipated document by our union with very great enthusiasm from our members, it was regrettably found wanting as several aspects of the document contained fundamental deviations from the draft outcome of hitherto held stakeholders’ engagements.
“These strange insertions are not only repugnant but highly discriminatory and thus, unacceptable.
“It is in view of the above that the Zone D of our union, comprising all states in the South-South and the South-East Nigeria strongly endorse the position of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union by asking for the immediate suspension of implementation of all identified areas of contention for review and initiation of a review process through a stakeholders’ engagement.
“This position of the Union has been well-articulated by our national leadership and formally transmitted to all relevant authorities with a subsisting 15-day ultimatum effective July 8th-22nd,2024.
“We shall comply fully and swiftly mobilise our members from all chapters in the zone if at the expiration of the ultimatum and upon the failure of the regulatory body to do the needful, NEC directs any form of industrial action. The nation should therefore hold the NBTE responsible for any such breakdown of industrial harmony in our institutions.”
